This week, we caught up with Jessie Bush on Motherhood. We talk recent highs and lows, and future advice she’ll be passing down to her daughter, Mila…
Huge congratulations again Jessie. Does Motherhood feel how you thought it would?
“It does to be honest. I’m an emotional person, so I always expected my entry into motherhood to be an emotional one, and it has been exactly that. It’s a fierce love like no other, and I’ve really enjoyed falling in love with my little girl and getting to know her.”
Would you say you have you changed over the past few months?
“I’m not sure if I have changed, I still very much feel like myself, pre-baby. But my priorities have definitely changed. So many things now seem inconsequential in comparison to the health and happiness of my daughter. I definitely worry a lot more, it’s impossible not to, especially in these early months when my hormones are all over the show.”
Is there anything you wish you’d known before you embarked on the journey?
“Surprisingly, no, not really. I decided early on that if I was going to spend months preparing for the birth of our baby, then I also wanted to allocate plenty of time preparing for the first few months of her life. For me that just meant taking things as slow as possible. Those early weeks were just the three of us getting to know each other - no guests or social plans, lot’s of homemade meals in the freezer and sleeping when the baby (finally) sleeps. Plus I think you can’t really ‘know’ what those first weeks/months of parenthood are like until you’re in it. Dealing with the lack of sleep and getting to know this brand new tiny person - nothing can prepare you for just how full on (and hard!) it will be.”
What have been your highs and lows during this time?
“The best bits are often the simplest; morning cuddles, watching her watch our dog Olive, her first smile, her first life. It’s cheesy but our highs have been every day we spend with her. It’s true what they say - having a child really is like having your heart outside your body. As for lows, having all of our family back in NZ (where the borders were completely closed until last month) has been tough. No one in our family has meet Mila yet, and obviously we had hoped things would play out a bit different!”
What advice will you be passing down to your daughter as she gets older?
“Above everything, be kind, you never know what someone else is going through. And to be kind to herself. It’s a complicated world out there, so I hope I can teach her the value of self-love and respect.”
Jessie wears the Thea Ruffle Shirt with matching Ruffle Trouser in a size UK10.
Find Jessie here.
